First modification: 12/05/2021 – 05:50
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Boston (United States) (AFP)
Tyler Herro scored 24 points and the Miami Heat secured a spot in the NBA playoffs by beating the Boston Celtics 129-121 on Tuesday, whom they locked up in the mini-play-in tournament.
Miami tied with Atlanta for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Heat won for the 10th time in the past 13 games with three regular-season games remaining.
Power forward Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson each scored 22 points, Kendrick Nunn 18 and Slovenian point guard Goran Dragic 17 for the Heat. They swept the two-game series in Boston.
Miami star Jimmy Butler had 13 points before missing the second half with an eye injury.
For the Celtics, the marksman was Kemba Walker, who led the Boston team on offense with 36 points. Jayson Tatum added 33 and Evan Fournier 20. Boston has lost seven of the last 10 meetings.
The Celtics have already secured a spot in the mini-tournament (play-in), in which teams from 7th to 10th will seek their eighth berth to the playoffs.
Boston is three games behind Miami and Atlanta, but lost the tiebreaker against both teams with three games remaining in the regular season.
It was the first game for the Celtics since they announced Monday that ‘All-Star’ forward Jaylen Brown would miss the remainder of the season to undergo surgery on his left wrist for a torn tendon.
The Heat and Celtics closed in on a fierce defense in the third quarter.
Robinson scored eight of his 13 points in the third quarter during a 17-4 attack that brought Miami’s lead to 93-77. The Heat led by 14 points entering the fourth quarter.
– Nuggets are still hot –
In Charlotte, Michael Porter Jr. and Serbian Nikola Jokic each scored 30 points, and the already ranked Denver Nuggets held off the local Hornets by beating them 117-112.
Jokic had 11 rebounds and six assists. Porter scored six 3s (18 points) as the Nuggets withstood a furious late rally led by Devonte Graham, who scored 19 of his 31 goals in the fourth quarter, including five triples.
The Serb did most of his damage from the foul line, where he fired 16 of 17 shots.
Terry Rozier, who scored 43 points in Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, added 21 points for the Hornets, who could clinch a spot in the mini-qualifying tournament as the Chicago Bulls fell to the Brooklyn Nets 115-107.
In the fourth quarter, Denver had a layup from JaMychal Green and a triple from Argentina’s Facundo Campazzo to get away. The Argentine finished the game with eight points, four rebounds and six assists.
– Dallas fails again –
At Memphis, Ja Morant scored 24 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies used a decisive attack in the third quarter to beat the Dallas Mavericks 133-104.
Dillon Brooks added 22 points and John Konchar had a season-high 18 for the Grizzlies. Kyle Anderson scored 15 points, including 10 in the third quarter as Memphis continues to try to move up the Western Conference standings.
While both teams are in the postseason, they can still improve their seeds. Memphis, which earned its place in the play-in tournament with Monday night’s win over New Orleans, still has a chance of moving up to eighth place.
For their part, the Mavericks, who are about to secure sixth place (direct to the playoffs) in the West, will have to wait before confirming a place to avoid the entry tournament (play-in) of the Western Conference.
Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Mavericks with 19 points, while Willie Cauley-Stein finished with 16 points, the season-high. Jalen Brunson scored 15, while Slovenian top scorer Luka Doncic scored just 12.
– Tuesday’s NBA results:
Minnesota Timberwolves a Detroit Pistons 119-100
Miami Heat a Boston Celtics 129-121
Brooklyn Nets a Chicago Bulls 115-107
Memphis Grizzlies a Dallas Mavericks 133-104
Denver Nuggets a Charlotte Hornets 117-112
Los Angeles Clippers a Toronto Raptors 115-96
Indiana Pacers a Philadelphia 76ers 103-94
– For playing:
Orlando Magic vs Milwaukee Bucks
Golden State Warriors vs Phoenix Suns
Los Angeles Lakers vs New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Sacramento Kings
© 2021 AFP
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